


In Which Elevators Are Unreliable

by chamaenerion



Series: Saphael Prompt Fills [6]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pre-Slash, Trapped In Elevator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-23 18:17:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14939397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chamaenerion/pseuds/chamaenerion
Summary: And Raphael kind of freaks out.





	In Which Elevators Are Unreliable

Simon would be lying if he said he's never imagined this scenario. Not this scenario _specifically_ , but the general idea of being trapped in an elevator. He's pretty sure it's something at least most people have thought about in passing. But anyway, yeah, he's thought about it once or twice. And for being _stuck-in-an-elevator_ thoughts they were never really bad. He kinda figured it'd be a cool experience, a fun story to break out at holiday dinners.

But this is shaping up to be more of a nightmare than a daydream.

"Dammit!" his unfortunate and very well dressed companion growls. He smacks his hand on the control panel twice before leaning forward to press his forehead to the doors that stay stubbornly closed.

"Uh, hey," Simon says, and he pauses but the guy doesn't say anything. Simon can hear him breathing deeply. "You gonna be okay? I'm sure the fire department is already on their way, and you know they're supposed to have a response time of like eleven minutes, so I'm sure we'll be out of here-"

"Shut up," he groans, and it sounds so strained and pleading that Simon can't even take offense.

"Okay," Simon says. He slides down to sit on the floor because he may as well be comfortable, and he's not actually so optimistic as to think they'll be out of there in less than an hour or two. After a couple minutes, during which his companion's shoulders have tensed up to his ears, he breaks the silence with: "I'm Simon, by the way."

The guy's hand clenches into a fist against the closed door. "Raphael."

"Cool. So, Raphael, do you care if I play some music on my phone? I left my earbuds in my van, and it's way too quiet in here. Though I'm kinda glad elevators don't really play music anymore, because how annoying would it be to be stuck in here with the same horrible tune playing again and again..."

"Díos. If I say yes, will you be _quiet_?" Raphael turns around and drops his head back against the door to stare at the florescent lights.

Words catch in Simon's throat because wow he's a sight in that sharp suit, but also because the poor guy looks seriously stressed if the sweat beading his forehead is any indication.

When he doesn't respond, Raphael scowls down at him and catches him staring, and Simon feels his face flush.

"Probably not," he finally says.

Raphael huffs a laugh, but it sounds more strained than amused.

Simon scrolls through his music library quickly, looking for a distraction, when he comes across something that’s perfect.

It takes exactly 00:16 for Raphael to respond.

“I thought you said you were going to play _music_.”

Simon bobs his head with extreme exaggeration, and then because Raphael looks like he’s holding back a smile he wiggles his shoulders as well, practically dancing there on the elevator floor.

“Please,” Raphael says, laughter in his voice, “anything but that.”

Simon smiles and presses pause. “What do you like?”

“I don’t listen to much music.”

Which Simon finds unbelievable, so he says as much.

Raphael shrugs, and Simon notes with satisfaction that his hands are no longer clenched into fists.

“I play piano?” he offers uncertainly.

“Hey!” Simon says. “Me, too. And some other stuff.” He opens a different playlist on his phone. “I’m actually in a band. Well, it’s just sort of me now, so I guess I’m just a solo act. But, here, listen to this and tell me what you think.”

The song starts and Raphael finally detaches himself from the door and takes the two steps to where Simon is sat. He drops to the floor beside him seemingly without care for the state of his suit, and halfway through the song Simon sees him tap his thumb against his knee along with the beat.

“Not bad,” he says when the song ends.

“High praise coming from a music connoisseur.”

Raphael rolls his eyes. “I liked it. I wouldn’t say so if I didn’t mean it.”

“Thanks.” Simon feels heat crawl up his neck.

A few moments pass in silence and Raphael seems to tense up again. He crosses his arms, and drops his head back against the wall. Eyes closed, he asks, “Has it been eleven minutes yet?”

It’s been more than twenty, but Simon replies, “Almost.” Then he asks, “So what do you do for a living?”

“I manage a hotel.”

“No way, man, how _old_ are you?” Simon blurts, and then another thought occurs to him, “ _This_ hotel?”

Raphael sighs deeply.

That’s when the lights flicker out.

In the middle of a truly impressive string of curses, Raphael’s hand suddenly closes around Simon’s wrist.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Simon says, quickly. “Let me just...”

The light from his phone is enough to save them from complete darkness, but the damage seems to be done. Raphael’s hand doesn’t shake, but his grip grows steadily tighter as time drags on.

“You should really get this thing inspected.”

Simon’s joke gets no response. He swipes at his phone screen with his free hand to see that its battery is at a meager 32% and draining rapidly thanks to the flashlight. He begins another song anyway, holding onto the hope that they’ll be rescued before the phone dies.

“No time like the present to begin your music education,” he says.

He picked relaxing over distracting this time, and as the soft notes drift out of the tiny speaker Raphael begins to calm.

Simon sings along softly with the next song. When he chances a glance at Raphael, their eyes meet and Simon stumbles over the chorus.

His phone is at 17% when there’s a sudden noise above their heads. They both jump and the elevator gives a terrifying lurch before moving at a completely normal pace downward.

Raphael laughs. Simon doesn’t know if it’s from relief or hysterics, but he doesn’t release his hold on Simon even as the elevator comes to a stop and the door opens to reveal a small crowd of people in various uniforms.

-

“You have anywhere you need to be?” Simon asks once things have calmed down. “I was about to head for some coffee...”

Raphael shakes his head. “I need to get back to work.” He frowns, then he reaches into his pocket and passes Simon a business card.

“Fancy.”

“Let me buy you dinner,” Raphael says. “Friday? Anywhere you’d like.”

Simon grins widely. “It’s a date.”

Before he can leave, Raphael stops him with a hand on his arm.

“Could you text me the name of that last song you played?” he asks, almost sheepish.

“Careful,” Simon warns, “asking me for music usually results in a list a mile long.”

Raphael’s smile is warm, even when he tries to shrug it off. “I’d like that.”

-

So maybe Simon’s _stuck-in-an-elevator_ musings never came close to the actual experience, but it does become a story he tells for years afterward at gatherings with friends and family and Raphael at his side.

**Author's Note:**

> for the prompt 'music sharing'... i really ran with it.
> 
> i purposefully kept the music vague because i have crap taste in music
> 
> [[tumblr](http://glitterglamours.tumblr.com/)]


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